With productions fleeing California and American soundstages sitting idle, Jon Voight is stepping into a new role—not as an actor, but as a self-appointed ambassador trying to rescue domestic film production. While the title was originally bestowed via a Trump Truth Social post with little formality, Voight has taken it seriously, launching a whirlwind of behind-the-scenes meetings with union leaders and studio execs to dig into what’s gone wrong—and what might fix it.

So far, he’s sat down with key Hollywood labor pillars: the Directors Guild of America, IATSE, and the Teamsters, seeking firsthand accounts of how rising costs, global tax competition, and fractured state-by-state policies have chipped away at the U.S. production base. Missing from the table so far are the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, but the tone of Voight’s effort has caught insiders’ attention: part nostalgia, part policy pitch.

At the heart of his proposal? A federal tax incentive to counteract the aggressive credits offered abroad—particularly in the UK, Canada, Hungary, and beyond. As productions continue to chase savings and infrastructure overseas, Voight believes the U.S. needs to level the playing field with national support, not just fragmented local programs.

What’s remarkable is that Voight is acting as a bridge between Hollywood labor and Trump-world rhetoric. Despite being a conservative lightning rod and longtime Trump supporter, he’s meeting with traditionally liberal unions and aiming to reframe the conversation not around politics, but around jobs, infrastructure, and keeping creative work on American soil.

Trump himself has promised to “get done what they suggest” when it comes to his three appointed ambassadors (Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone), though sources say neither Gibson nor Stallone have joined any meetings or taken part in crafting this initiative. If this plan moves forward, it will be because of Voight’s hustle, not the optics of celebrity muscle.

Union leaders reportedly support the spirit of Voight’s efforts but remain cautious. As one rep put it: “We’ve heard about federal credits before—but until D.C. actually moves, the work is still leaving.”

Meanwhile, California is trying to hold its ground. Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed expanding the state’s Film & TV Tax Credit from $330M to $750M annually—a necessary bump to compete with Georgia’s uncapped program. Two bills, SB630 and AB1138, are also gaining traction. They aim to ease eligibility and unlock credits for productions that commit to hiring locally—something that’s been hamstrung by bureaucracy.

Voight’s push comes at a time when more than 100,000 production workers have sent letters to Sacramento supporting California’s expanded program. But the problem, many argue, is national. Without a unified federal incentive, Hollywood will continue to fragment—state by state, shoot by shoot.

So the question becomes: Can Jon Voight, an Oscar winner with deeply political ties, be the unexpected ally who finally puts federal support on the table? Or will his plan be another well-meaning conversation that never gets past the coasts?

In a moment when the U.S. film industry needs bold ideas and strange bedfellows, Voight may just be the unlikely messenger this fractured industry didn’t expect—but might need.